Chicago’s Own Ci Ci Foster Changes the Game
August 14th, 2010 | 
Author: 
You don’t meet many women that can run their own business, balance marriage and children as well as have a successful multi-faceted career in entertainment. Actress Ci Ci Foster has tackled all of that and more as she embarks on yet another adventure as the newest diva on the literary scene. Ci Ci recently released her first novel called, “Sunny Rain” and it is on fire! She’s been dubbed, “The Female Eric Jerome Dickey,” and is truly living up to her new nickname. Despite all of her accomplishments, Ci Ci Foster is still humble, kind and a true Chi-town girl at heart. I was able to chat with Mrs. Foster and get the scoop on her latest ventures right before she was whisked off to make an appearance at an exclusive Hollywood gala. This diva is a force to be reckoned with and she is taking no prisoners.
TheRhocc.com: I know you have a fabulous Hollywood event to get to this evening so I won’t be keeping you long. I just have a couple of questions for you. I basically wanted to talk to you about everything from your work in front of the camera and behind it, to your new book and all of that. I just wanted to get into how you ended up in Hollywood, all the way from Chicago,
CiCi Foster: Well, I started out in Chicago doing commercials and as I was booking them, it gave me more confidence that I could have a career in this crazy entertainment field. That’s where it started and I packed up the family and we’ve been out here for about three years. And here we are!
TR: Your relationship with LA is kind of new, was it a difficult transition going from the Midwest vibe to the West Coast?
CF: Yeah, you know what? I’ll say this; there couldn’t be two more different places. LA, the weather is so addictive, it’s like, am I on vacation right now? I had to decide whether I should be at the beach or…
TR: I’m so jealous! Chicago is definitely totally different. You started out in commercials and you’ve also done movies but now you’re getting into production with your company Flower Goddess Productions. What was your motivation to start that company?
CF: I always knew that I wanted to do my own production company because I have a lot of creative ideas and I just wanted to get my own ideas out there. It actually happened sooner than I thought it would. It wasn’t the plan right away to say, in a year that I wanted to start my own company. It wasn’t like that, I had met this woman named Mashari who lived in Chicago for 9 years and in all that time that we both lived out there, we never knew each other. It was only until I moved here that I met her. After developing a relationship, we just started talking about how the roles aren’t out there for Black women. You can get a quick, little extra role here and there where you may have one line or you may have none. We just started talking about, “What if we formed our own company and do a documentary, our first project could be a documentary and we could interview other actresses and get their story and let people know how this crazy business really works.” The funny thing is people who aren’t actors really don’t know the business. I have had so many people tell me, “Hey, you know, I hear Tyler Perry is doing some great things, why don’t you call him up?” Do you really think it’s that easy? They don’t know the hustle at all. I was like, I really have to do this story and let people know how tough and challenging this business really is.
TR: I feel you on that one. People think that you can pick up the phone, call Tyler Perry and get in a movie and you’re done. It’s not going to work like that.
CF: Exactly!
TR: I love that you are exploring the lives of those actresses and giving us who are outside the industry an idea of what you guys go through. I know that you wanted to bring that story to the forefront and you included all types of women, not just Black women in that documentary. What made you decide to include women of all ethnicities and not just stick to the story of women of color?
CF: We just wanted to tell the story of women, period. We have all ethnic backgrounds in our documentary to show that, of course on the outside we all have obvious differences but inside we’re all really fighting for the same thing out here.
TR: Let’s talk about your book. They’re calling you “The female Eric Jerome Dickey: and that’s one of my favorite authors so I knew that I had to pick up this book. How do you feel about getting that title?
CF: Oh my God, that’s a huge title because that’s one of my favorite authors too and his work is incredible. It’s a huge honor and I’ll take it!
TR: What got u into this erotic fiction genre?
CF: You know what? I always liked the stories that dealt with relationships and I always liked it hot and I started writing and I was like, it’s gotta be hot or I’m not going to do it.
TR: Those characters are hot. The book is steamy and so is the trailer. This needs to be a movie too! I would definitely tune in for that. What inspired those particular characters? Where did they come from?
CF: When I was picking these characters, each one of them had a five page long bio that I just sat and wrote. It was carefully detailed, everything from their favorite foods and just things that the average writer wouldn’t go into. It was emotional, physical, just everything. I would get personality traits from people that I know, people that I ran across, that I didn’t know so well. I was mixing and matching and coming up with relatable characters.
TR: Did you put yourself in the book at all?
CF: (Laughter) That’s what everyone keeps asking! Yes, I pulled just a little bit from me. Just a little.
TR: The book works to debunk some of the popular myths about men in relationships. What do you think some of these myths are?
CF: One myth is that there aren’t any good guys left. In this book, there are some good guys left. Sometimes they just happen to finish last.
TR: With the whole infidelity thing in marriages or whatever, do you think that relationships can bounce back from trust issues?
CF: I do, I believe that it would take a lot because once u break the trust, to rebuild it would be something that would probably take a lot of therapy. Like years to overcome but if both partners are ready to take that step to forgive and move on, I definitely think it’s possible.
TR: You’re an actress, a model, producer, author, wife and mother. How do you balance it all? Do you think that women can have it all?
CF: We can definitely have it all. For me, it’s all about prioritizing; I just divide my time and place myself where I’m needed the most. I just find that time. People, always ask, “How do you do it?” I’m like you know what? I don’t know, I just do it!
TR: What tips do you have for young, aspiring actresses who want to get out there and be seen?
CF: The first thing would be to get the best headshot available because when you are out there trying to market yourself as an actor, that headshot is your calling card. You get really great pictures and send them out to your local talent agents and if those pictures are really hot, they will call you. They will set up a meeting with you and if they like you and feel that you are ready for interviews, they will send you out. That’s really how you get started. I will also say training is important too when they are looking at resumes. Even if you haven’t booked anything like major commercials or anything, they like to see that you have taken some form of classes like theater classes or whatever and that you are ready to do the work. You’ve gotta hustle.
TR: What about young entrepreneurs that want to get into the business, behind the camera. What advice do you have for those people?
CF: If you want to get into producing, writing and that stuff it’s a whole different ball game but for me, like when I got into the I Heart Hollywood project, you have to surround yourself with the right people. First, it begins with you knowing what you want to do and taking the steps to plan it out. Following that plan, you build a team around you. If you’re a producer, you find a director, editor, and just people that have the same vision as you so your project does not lose its integrity because you are the ring leader in the group and you have final say. You have to know exactly what you want and work together and I think you can make it happen.
TR: What do you think about companies that make you pay for an audition or to be seen? Do you think those are credible companies?
CF: Not Really. They have a lot of those now in LA that I am seeing, you have to pay to be in front of casting directors. Honestly, I got sucked into one once and I told myself that I am not doing this again. There’s gotta be a better way to meet casting directors than to pay money. That’s just a business and I honestly don’t really know anyone where anything has materialized. If I were a casting director, I don’t think that I would go to those kinds of places to find the next person that I want in a film. To me, it’s about paying your dues, more than anything. Getting out there and being seen in a legitimate way. My advice is to do plays, send casting directors postcards letting them know that you’re in the play and a note stating, “Hope you can come, I’ve got free comp tickets for you.” I would do other things and target that person by doing the work and sending them the info because I think it’s more attractive than a pay per audition thing.
TR: Do you think it’s more beneficial for an actress to get out to LA or NY in order to expand your career?
CF: At some point if you are going to be a serious actor and make some money, you are going to eventually have to move. Early in your career is the time to do it. There’s so much competition and it’s ridiculous. When I left Chicago, the work as an actor just dried up. I was working all the time in Chicago, I had commercial after commercial. Lo and behold when I got here, competition is so stiff and now everybody is an actor. So I went from being in competition with a small pool of people to an entire state! You should build your career and get something really notable on your resume, then go to a nice mid-grade agency. A lot of these agencies have offices in Chicago, LA and NY, so if you’re in Chicago and have a great agent there that has an office in LA, and the time is right, you can say” I want to make a move, will you accept me as a client over there?” That’s a much easier path then just saying, “Ok, I want to be an actor let me pack up and move” and you only have two things on your resume. Be in the union and be ready to hustle.
TR: Now back to the writing. You went from acting, to producing to writing. What you got started with the writing?
CF: Well, I’ve always liked writing. It’s like an escape and how I get away when I want inner peace. It was a hobby until my husband said, “You need to make this into a novel and get it out there and publish it.” It never crossed my mind before to be an author; it was just something that I liked doing.
TR: Do you have any new titles in the works? What’s next for you?
CF: I am one third finished with my second novel, called, “Hollywouldnt.” It’s about a rising starlet whose ex is an embezzler, fresh out of the federal penitentiary and is seeking revenge on her. Because he blames her for the time he spent behind bars. Everything is in there, its sex tapes, and drama!
TR; I love it! What’s better than sex, drama and white collar crimes! Do you have any lasting words to the people out there?
CF: I just want everyone to know that they should always dream big and follow through.
Ci Ci Foster definitely dreams big and the proof is in the pudding. This woman is a star in her own right and I only see huge things in store for her future.
You can find out more about Ci Ci at the links below:
http://www.flowergoddessproductions.com/
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Get a Mean Shoe Game!
Khloe Kardashian rocked these Dsquared heels on a Father’s Day outing with her husband, his children and the rest of the Kardashian fam.
Cop them @ Dsquared!
Monica sported this ensemble at the Birthday Bash concert in ATL hosted by Ludacris. She wore these killer Christian Louboutin booties and even tweeted a pic of the hotness:
These are the Venus Orlato suede ankle boots and you can get them from Saks!
The next shoe as worn by two starlets and it’s especially fly! Jada Pinkett wore the Fendi Ballet Wrap sandals on the Oprah show and Ciara wore them while partying in Miami with her bestie Lala.
I don’t think Ciara did them any justice by pairing them with this particular dress but the shoes are fierce!!!
Snatch your pair from Barneys!
Ciara and Lala Party in Miami
Miami has always been a hotspot but it’s seems like it’s becoming even more popular these days. Lala and Ciara hit up Lux nightclub in Miami and looked like the had a good time. Both girls looked good but as usual there’s something a bit “off” about Ci Ci. Maybe it’s the shoes?
More pics below:
DID YOU WATCH THE BBALL WIVES REUNION?
If you’re anything like me, you were glued to VH1 while the Basketball Wives reunion show was on. It really wasn’t as juicy as I expected it to be. I would say the highlights of the show were: 1) Shaunie going in on Matt Barnes, 2) Sandra aka Plastic Surgery coming out and putting Suzie on blast and 3) the host Tanika Ray was looking fly as hayell! I loved her hair and dress. Other than that, it was really just a glorified clip show. The recaps were hella long and we didn’t need them because we had already watched a full season of the show. That chick Vanessa Davis should have been there and Gloria should have come too. I knew she wouldn’t though because her husband has been getting into it with all of the wives on Twitter. He’s been calling them all kinds of names and they claim to have some dirt on him cheating on Gloria. By the way, the couple is scheduled to be married in August (finally!) .
The girls looked pretty good, as in their hair was nice but some of those dresses looked cheap! I recognized Shaunie’s dress but I can’t recall what designer created it but I know for sure that Jen’s dress was a Brian Lichtenberg. If you wanna cop one, check out the info below:
While We’re on the Subject of Nicki…
Nicki Minaj covers Vibe magazine. She has one cover and Erykah Badu has the other. I think it’s funny that Erykah talks to the magazine about how she’s different from other chicks that get naked in videos but she shares a cover with Nicki Minaj who gets as naked as you can get. Both stars grace the covers sans clothing. Nicki is topless with a painted on shirt and belt. Erykah is is nude with henna painted on her back, arms and bald head. When it comes to videos and music magazines, etc. I just think that nudity is nudity. Noone is above the skankiness!
More pics after the jump!
BEEF: Nicki Minaj and Lil Kim
Nicki Minaj and Lil Kim have been having a bit of a back and forth feud arguing about who deserves the crown for being the best female rapper alive.
Video and explanations when you read the rest!
Is T.I. Creepin’ with Hoopz…again?
(old pic)
Back in 2006, Tiny found out about T.I. kicking it with Hoopz and it seems like he’s back up to his old tricks. I haven’t kept up with Tiny’s show but the one clip that I saw featured tons of gifts that he sent to her while he was still locked up, so I hope that all that wasn’t just for show. Now that T.I. is out of jail, Hoopz has been spotted at tons of events that he just happens to be at. For instance, she was front row and center at the taping of the Mo’nique Show, during TIP’s interview. I really like Tiny and I hope this relationship isn’t going down the toilet. Maybe, it already has… She does have THREE engagement rings and a marriage has never materialized. At some point, women need to stop lying to ourselves and just accept the truth no matter how horrible it might be. Maybe it would be best for this relationship to be over, maybe she can start making something of herself apart from being his woman. I hear that he wants her to give up the show and I really hope that she keeps it. T.I. just needs to STOP IT!
Speaking of Tiny and Toya, the girls recently did a photoshoot and they both look great. Pics after the jump!
Solange’s Hair
Solange posted some pics on her blog from a Memorial Day party that she threw in California. The pics are really fly because they have a vintage feel and they totally remind me of the pictures that you see when you look through old albums at your parent’s house. Above all, I am really feeling her hair! I know that her hair is still cut short but she’s rocking the cutest ‘fro in these pics. So what is it? Wig? Sew-In? Something else?
More pics after the break!
Nene Leakes Files For Divorce and Lisa Wu may no longer be a Housewife!
Nene Leakes’ husband Greg has officially put all of their business on blast! Internet radio host, Corey King unofficially interviewed Greg and posted the audio from their interview on the ‘net. Apparently, Greg owes him some money and as payback, Corey decided to put their conversation on the air for all to hear. Greg basically says that Nene has let the fame get to her head and he’s had enough. He wants a divorce and he also wants the $300,000 that he invested into her to help her get on the show. Does Nene even have $300K? I know that she’s paid well but I doubt that she still has money like that laying around. He also claims that Lisa Wu is pulling out of the show which makes sense because there have been rumors that one of the housewives would be leaving. I wonder why Lisa would leave? Doesn’t she need the money? Audio of the interview is below:
